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So this is how it ends. Not with a bang, but with a whimper.

It started with a bang. The brawl in Virginia. The breathless reports of this two-star athlete dominating the football fields and basketball courts in high school. This amazing scoring guard that nobody — not even John Thompson — could slow down.

A first overall selection. First "point guard" taken that high since Magic Johnson. Shortest taken first overall since John Lucas. Quickest, ever. Ever, ever.

Pissed off Jordan. Crossed over Jordan. Took over for Jordan as the league's most popular player, when the NBA was in its darkest era since the drug daze of the late 1970s. Won the MVP. Took home-court advantage from a swaggering, dominant Lakers team in the 2001 Finals. Made it, nearly, to the top. On his terms.

And, because things stayed on Allen Iverson's terms, it all fell apart from there.

Marc Spears just confirmed the news that Allen Iverson is set to retire. This follows an ignominious attempt at shopping himself on the open free-agent market, with the season having already started. That followed an ignominious three-game turn with the Memphis Grizzlies, which followed an ignominious season with the Detroit Pistons, which followed a ... you see where I'm going here.

Every step of the way, Iverson stayed true to himself. And, in a game and a culture that had grown up around him, that steadfast refusal to do anything but stay true to himself resulted in this early, unnecessary retirement.

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Each weekday morning, BDL serves up a handful of NBA-related stories to digest with your Maxell tapes.

Broderick Turner, L.A. Times: "[Shannon] Brown, a Lakers reserve guard, hasn't been invited to participate in the 2010 All-Star game slam-dunk contest in Dallas — yet. But the more the acrobatic, high-flying Brown throws down the electric dunks that have made him a YouTube sensation and a staple of ESPN highlights, the bigger the groundswell grows for him to be included in the contest. His teammates are in awe of his dunks and are pushing hard for him. Lakers fans go berserk when Brown defies gravity with elevates his 6-foot-4 frame before a dunk. As for Brian Shaw, he couldn't help but chide Brown about his dunking exploits. Shaw told Brown about his former Boston Celtics teammate Dee Brown (1991) and former Miami Heat teammate Harold Minor (1995) winning the dunk contest. Shaw even told Brown about his former Orlando Magic teammate Darrell Armstrong (1996) failing to win the dunk contest. 'When I had Dee the first year, he won it. Harold, I said, 'Every team I've been on, somebody won the slam-dunk championship.' He held up his end of the bargain,' Shaw said. 'Baby boy [Armstrong] kind of let me down a little bit. So I'm trying to get back on track.'"

Marcus Thompson II, Oakland Tribune: "Guards Monta Ellis, Stephen Curry and Anthony Morrow. Forwards Anthony Randolph and Vladimir Radmanovic, and center Mikki Moore. That's all it took, six players, for the Warriors to score their biggest win of the season, a 111-103 upset of the Dallas Mavericks on Tuesday night. Six guys, an assistant coach in the big chair and a spirited, unified brand of basketball. The Warriors came back from nine points down with just over six minutes left in the game to post their first winning streak of the 2009-10 season. That's four straight impressive performances since trading swingman Stephen Jackson to the Charlotte Bobcats. 'This win went out to our man in charge,' said assistant coach Keith Smart, who filled in for pneumonia-ridden head coach Don Nelson. 'Our guys pulled together for him.'"

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Thursday, it was all but a given that free agent guard Allen Iverson(notes) was going to sign a one-year, $1.3 million deal with the New York Knicks.

In fact, one source close to the team told the New York Times that the percent chance A.I. would sign in New York was in "the high 90s." It was basically a done deal.

Today's forecast? Cloudy, with a 99 percent chance of not-gonna-happen.

Howard Beck of the New York Times:

In an abrupt reversal, Knicks officials decided late Thursday not to offer Iverson a contract, putting an end to their brief flirtation, according to a person close to the deliberations.

Although team officials were highly intrigued by Iverson, a four-time scoring champion, they finally decided that he posed too great a risk because of his long history of problems on and off the court.

Knick owner James Dolan was reportedly hesitant about signing Iverson for the remainder of the season, but said he would not stand in the way if Donnie Walsh and Mike D'Antoni were in favor of the move.

Anyway, more to come on this I'm sure. Like, say, Miami?

Each weekday morning, BDL serves up a handful of NBA-related stories to digest with your poached pears in honey, ginger and cinnamon syrup.

Bill Plaschke, L.A. Times: "Making his season's first appearance after sitting out the first 11 games because of a hamstring injury, Pau Gasol took the Staples Center floor against the Chicago Bulls to an ovation that was less than standing. Folks cheered, but only slightly louder than if he'd been here all along. Gasol scored the game's first basket, and the clapping was polite. He scored the third and fourth points on free throws, and the yawns were evident. He then scored the second basket on a fast break layup placed in the rim with the gentleness of a guard, and finally there was some recognition that this was somebody special returning to something special. Those cheers lasted only as long as it took folks to serenade Kobe Bryant with, 'M-V-P.' Even now, it seems, folks just don't appreciate the value of a guy for whom those same letters could be chanted."

Charles F. Gardner, Journal Sentinel: "Andrew Bogut's value to the Milwaukee Bucks is evident every time he goes out of the lineup. Now the team will have to cope for two to four weeks without the 7-foot center after he suffered a left leg strain and contusion late in the Bucks' 99-85 victory over New Jersey on Wednesday night. The Bucks are off to a surprising 6-3 start behind the steady play of Bogut and rookie point guard Brandon Jennings, and they've been successful despite the absence of injured shooting guard Michael Redd. Just as they are about ready to get Redd back in the starting five, they will be missing their fifth-year big man. 'It's disappointing,' Bucks general manager John Hammond said after results of Bogut's magnetic resonance imaging exam came back on Thursday afternoon. 'Andrew did get off to a very good start. We want him on the floor and we need him on the floor. Obviously it's a concern. But it's our job not to dwell on it, to move forward and find a way to compete.' Veteran centers Dan Gadzuric and Kurt Thomas should play increased minutes in Bogut's absence, and Hammond said, 'It's those players' responsibility now to step up.'"

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Milwaukee 99, New Jersey 85

Down seven at the half, the Bucks probably looked at the in-game box score that was handed out in the locker room. Noticing the names "Rafer Alston," "Trenton Hassell," "Josh Boone," and "Bobby Simmons" among the particulars, the Bucks then likely decided to act their talent-level and start the second half on a 15-0 run.

Then the Bucks, and this much is documented, actually went out and started the second half on a 15-0 run.

The Nets missed 29 of 38 attempts in the second half, and they're just terrible. The team does try, and executes as far as I can tell just up to the point where they have to make a shot. Then they miss the shot. That's not me being flip. This is New Jersey's offense.

The team features one good-to-great player in Brook Lopez, and he can't get the ball. Alston (1-10 shooting, one assist and one turnover in 33 minutes) should be a third point guard right now, at best. Guys like Boone and Hassell are only passable as rotation guys on very, very good offensive teams. Because they're zeroes, offensively.

Instead, they start. And some people still can't understand why the Nets haven't won in 12 attempts. They haven't won, people, because they're terrible. They're not owed a win or two just because they're an NBA team.

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Each weekday morning, BDL serves up a handful of NBA-related stories to digest with your pea and mint pesto crostini.

Frank Isola, New York Daily News: "The answer to The Answer appears to be yes. Donnie Walsh said Wednesday night that the Knicks have yet to make a final decision on whether to sign Allen Iverson but the Knicks president hinted that the club is leaning strongly in that direction. Iverson, a former MVP, is expected to clear waivers at 6 p.m. today and will become an unrestricted free agent. The Knicks could have competition from Miami, who according to a person close to Iverson said the team is 'hot' after him. 'Until something's done it's not done,' Walsh said. 'That's the way I've always been. If he's not signed it's not done.' It's worth remembering that Walsh used similar language days before Mike D'Antoni was hired as coach. Walsh has spent the past few days calling his inner circle of NBA friends about Iverson. One of those calls was to Larry Brown, the former Knicks coach, who was with Iverson in Philadelphia when the Sixers went to the NBA Finals."

Eddie Sefko, The Dallas Morning News: "Win, lose or draw, the Mavericks' fate lately always seems to come down to Dirk Nowitzki. And as long as he's on, the Mavericks can lack all the style points in the world and still have a great chance to win. The game in Milwaukee proved it. Wednesday night's 99-94 victory over the Spurs reaffirmed it when Nowitzki tipped in the basket that ended up getting the Mavericks to overtime. The Mavericks slogged around for three quarters, couldn't find the basket with a GPS and basically looked like they should be losing instead of up by four points, which they were. But while the Mavericks go along through this early season, the only real constant has been Dirk. No matter who's hurt or who's playing poorly, he's been an anchor. [...] The more defenders hang all over him, the more Dirk just seems to figure out a way to thrive. And score. He had just nine points at halftime Wednesday, but lit up the Spurs in the second half and wound up with 41. He was the sole reason the game even made it to overtime. He was the heart and soul as well as the offense for the Mavericks."

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A look around the league and the web that covers it. It's also important to note that the rotation order and starting nods aren't always listed in order of importance. That's for you, dear reader, to figure out.

C: Orlando Sentinel. Vince Carter(notes) is just slightly impressed by his Magic bobblehead doll.
PF: The Baseline. Is Gilbert Arenas(notes) getting a free pass for his one million followers "Twitter challenge?"
SF: '64 and Counting. Because Shaq doesn't already do enough, now he's curating an art exhibit.
SG: Sports Radio Interviews. Ron Artest(notes) discusses chucking Trevor Ariza's(notes) shoe off the court.
PG: The 700 Level. Philadelphia should sign Allen Iverson(notes) ... to play quarterback, of course.
6th: Basketball-Reference.com Blog. Is Nash really on track to capture the third MVP of his career?
7th: From Deep. Give Grange his choice of an offensive threat for a day, and he'd pick 'Melo's game.
8th: CelticsHub. Andres Nocioni(notes): The most average player in the NBA.
9th: The Disciples of Clyde. BDL's own Kelly Dwyer joins Dan Filowitz on the FD DoC podcast.
10th: D.C. Sports Bog. Minor league hoops team changes name from NightHawks to GreenHawks, announces plans to reduce their carbon footprint and considers using hemp nets and shorts made of recycled bamboo.

Got a tip or link for Ball Don't Lie? Hit me up at jeskeets [at] yahoo.ca or follow me on Twitter.

Could this be it, for Allen Iverson and Jerry Stackhouse?

Stack hasn't even played this year. Iverson carped his way through three Memphis Grizzlies losses. Memphis Grizzlies losses. No other team appears to want to take a flyer, save for squads that aren't outright dismissing things so as to keep things cheery with Iverson's agent.

You don't have to stay chummy with our agent. Just pop by around 3 p.m., Eastern, hit the jump, and submit a question for Hump Day Chat. No starters, no sixth men, just hoops talk. Cheerio, and all that.

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Monday to Friday, The Basketball Jones look at the big games and story lines from the night before with a mix of in-depth analysis and irreverent humor. As always, questions and comments are appreciated.

On today's show, Skeets and Tas regroup from blooper day and charge forward. Could Allen Iverson(notes) be a Knickerbocker? Do the Nuggets need home court advantage throughout the playoffs? Could the Magic be looking for a new point guard? All that, plus casting "Space Jam 2," more so-bad-they're-good nicknames and Nene's big night.

Keep both eyes on the road, folks. You never know what's coming around the bend.

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